The historic clan villages of Hahoe and Yangdong were built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and include residences of the head families, substantial timber framed houses of other clan members, pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies for learning, and clusters of one story mud-walled, thatched-roofed houses, formerly for commoners. The aristocratic Confucian culture is seen in both the siting and layout of the villages, deriving spiritual and physical nourishment from the nearby forested mountains, river, and agricultural land. The beauty of the surrounding landscape and views was celebrated by 17th and 18th century poets. --WHMNet paraphrase from the description at WHC Site, where additional information is available.

The Hahoe Folk Village and the Yangdong Folk Village (Yangdong Village of Gyeongju) are traditional villages from the Joseon Dynasty. Yangdong is located in Gangdong-myeon, sixteen kilometers northeast of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, along the Hyeongsan River. Mt. Seolchang stands to the north of the village. The village is designated as Important Folklore Materials No. 189 by the South Korean government. The size, degree of preservation, numerous cultural assets, traditionalism, beautiful natural setting all contribute to the importance of Yangdong Village. It is also a fine example of the yangban (Korean aristocracy) lifestyle and Neo-Confucian traditions. The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage site with Hahoe Folk Village in 2010. Hahoe is a valuable part of Korean culture because it preserves Joseon period-style architecture, folk traditions, valuable books, and old tradition of clan-based villages. The village is located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. To the north of the village is Buyongdae Cliff while Mt. Namsan lies to the south. The village is organized around the geomantic guidelines of pungsu and so the village has the shape of a lotus flower or two interlocking comma shapes. The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage site with Yangdong Folk Village in 2010. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.